Question 1

Which of the following is an example of treatment outcome research?

Accepted Answer

Treatment outcome research examines the impact of treatments on specific disorders, such as medication on depression. Choice A is an example of basic research on brain function, and choice B is an example of biological research. Choice C is an example of process research, examining the specific components of therapy.

Question 2

Historical case studies have provided new knowledge that has often eliminated existing societal myths.Whose research contributed to eliminating myths regarding human sexuality?

Accepted Answer

The research of Masters and Johnson contributed to eliminating myths regarding human sexuality. Their studies provided empirical evidence about sexual behavior and debunked many myths about female sexuality, such as the existence of vaginal orgasms and the idea that women were not sexual beings.

Question 3

Which of the following is a problem in understanding variations in behaviour among individuals from different cultural groups?

Accepted Answer

The problem in understanding variations in behaviour among individuals from different cultural groups is that the differences may be due to genetic or cultural factors or a combination of both. It is challenging to determine the precise cause of the differences because it can be influenced by many factors. For instance, some cultures may have a genetic predisposition to certain mental health disorders, while others may exhibit similar symptoms due to cultural beliefs and practices. Therefore, it is essential to consider both genetic and cultural factors to understand variations in behaviour among individuals from different cultural groups.

Question 4

In a control group, which of the following is NOT a way people are similar to the experimental group?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a control group, which of the...

Question 5

According to your textbook, what is one of the most important reasons to conduct cross-cultural research in psychopathology?

Accepted Answer

Conducting cross-cultural research in psychopathology helps us understand how culture affects the experience of different disorders. It allows us to gain insight into how culture and context can impact the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health conditions. This is important for developing culturally sensitive and effective interventions.

Question 6

What does the most influential and successful research generally involve?

Accepted Answer

The most influential and successful research generally involves a program of research that uses multiple research designs over a period of time. This allows for the replication of findings across different methods and contexts, and strengthens the validity and generalizability of the results. Longitudinal designs, correlational studies, cross-sectional research, and experiments can all be valuable components of a comprehensive program of research, but using multiple designs is key.

Question 7

Which genetic mechanism contributes to the underlying problems that cause the difficulties experienced by people with psychological disorders?

Accepted Answer

Endophenotypes are measurable components unseen by the unaided eye along the pathway between disease and distal genotype. They help in understanding the genetic basis of complex traits or disorders, including psychological disorders, by breaking down these conditions into more manageable, measurable components that are closer to the genetic level.

Question 8

Your psychology professor is conducting research and desperately needs more research participants because the existing subjects keep running from the building screaming.She tells the class that everyone must be a subject to get a grade in the class and that there are no exceptions.In terms of ethical treatment of research subjects, what would you say about her policy?

Accepted Answer

The professor's policy violates the principle of volunteerism because she is forcing every student to be a research subject in order to receive a grade in the class. Consent must be voluntary and not coerced, and participants should have the right to withdraw at any time. Students who do not want to participate in the research should have the option to complete an alternative assignment.

Question 9

One of the major problems with the case study method is that it is too easy to make false conclusions based on which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The major problem with the case study method is that it is too easy to make false conclusions based on coincidence. Case studies are based on observations of a single subject or group in a specific context, which makes it difficult to generalize the findings to other populations or contexts. Therefore, the findings of a case study may be misleading if they are not supported by empirical evidence or statistical analysis.

Question 10

Which of the following hypotheses would have adequate testability?

Accepted Answer

The hypothesis "Children who view aggression are more likely to act in an aggressive manner" can be tested through observing and measuring the behavior of children who have been exposed to aggressive media and comparing it to children who have not. The other hypotheses cannot be tested empirically as they deal with supernatural or unobservable phenomena.

Question 11

Brown and Finn (1982) found that attitudes regarding alcohol were somewhat different for 12-, 15-, and 17-year-olds.All measures were taken during the same year from children of different ages.What kind of research method is this?

Accepted Answer

This is a cross-sectional study because data was collected at one point in time from individuals of different ages.

Question 12

Joe has been diagnosed by his psychiatrist as having an anxiety disorder.His psychiatrist prescribes a medication that has been found to help reduce anxiety.Joe takes the medication, but his anxiety level does not improve at all.Because an anxiety medication did not work, Joe concludes that his psychiatrist must be wrong and that he, Joe, must be suffering from some other disorder.What is the problem with Joe's conclusion?

Accepted Answer

Joe is falling prey to the patient uniformity myth, which suggests that all individuals who share the same diagnosis should respond in a uniform manner to the same treatment. This is not always the case, as individuals vary in their response to treatment due to differences in genetics, biology, environment, and other factors. Just because the medication did not work for Joe does not mean that he has a different disorder; it may simply mean that he needs a different treatment approach that is tailored to his specific needs.

Question 13

In the early 20th century, many people displayed symptoms of a disorder similar to organic psychosis.Most of these people were also poor, which led to speculation about class inferiority.Goldberger found correlations between the disorder and diet and identified the cause of the disorder as a deficiency of the B vitamin niacin.What was this research study an early example of?

Accepted Answer

The research study conducted by Goldberger is an early example of epidemiology, which is the study of patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in populations. Goldberger identified the cause of the disorder through studying large populations and looking for correlations between symptom presentation and variables such as diet and socioeconomic status.

Question 14

What do genetic researchers examine in family studies?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What do genetic researchers examine in family...

Question 15

Which of the following would be the most likely correlation between the number of hours that a student studies for her tests and her exam grades?

Accepted Answer

There is likely to be a positive correlation between the number of hours a student studies and her exam grades. This means that as the number of hours studied increases, the exam grades are also expected to increase. A correlation coefficient of 0.50 represents a moderate positive correlation.

Question 16

Your friend Sally has trouble making commitments in relationships, and you believe that this is because Sally's parents had a bitter divorce when she was young.What is exemplified by your belief that a child who lives through a bitter parental divorce will have trouble making commitments in relationships as an adult?

Accepted Answer

The belief that a child who lives through a bitter parental divorce will have trouble making commitments in relationships as an adult is a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a tentative explanation for an observation or phenomenon that requires further testing and investigation to confirm or reject it. In this case, the hypothesis is based on the observation of Sally's behavior, but it would need to be tested through empirical research before it can be validated as a generalized theory.

Question 17

What is one reason why cross-sectional studies are more common than longitudinal studies?

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal studies take many years to complete, which can make them more costly and difficult to conduct compared to cross-sectional studies.

Question 18

Professor Black is asked by one of his students to describe the meaning of a hypothesis.What should Professor Black say?

Accepted Answer

A hypothesis is a statement that predicts the relationship between variables in a research study. It is an educated guess about what may happen in the study and is based on previous research or observations. Therefore, a hypothesis can be seen as a prediction about behaviour.

Question 19

Approximately how many genes were discovered in the human genome project?

Accepted Answer

The Human Genome Project discovered approximately 25,000 genes in the human genome.

Question 20

In research, what does the term "clinical significance" refer to?

Accepted Answer

Clinical significance refers to how important the effects observed in the study are in the "real world" context, beyond just statistical significance. It considers the practical and meaningful implications of the research findings. Choice A refers to internal validity, B refers to experimental manipulation, and C refers to chance or statistical significance.

Quiz 4: Research Methods